Blue Box Operations Manager

Who We AreRyse Solutions, part of the Emterra Group, is a leading Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) helping companies meet Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulatory obligations and sustainability goals for recycling, reusing, and recovering products and packaging. As the only multi-material PRO in Ontario, Ryse Solutions delivers comprehensive solutions across all regulated materials. As a family and female-owned Canadian business, Emterra Group’s 50 years of recycling expertise, extensive, and dedicated team of passionate people, deliver exceptional service, compliance, and circular economy solutions for its clients.
Job SummaryReporting to the Vice President, the
Blue Box Operations Manager
is responsible for overseeing and continuously improving the operational performance of Ryse’s Blue Box value chain, from collection through processing and final disposition to secondary processors and end markets.
This role works across internal teams, with the Common Collection System (CCS) Operator/Administrator, municipalities, processors, haulers, commodities marketing, and other stakeholders to ensure Blue Box operations are effective, efficient, compliant, measurable, and continuously improving.
The Manager will monitor operational performance, manage service provider and contractual requirements and outcomes, identify and resolve issues, develop and implement improvements, and lead projects and initiatives that strengthen Ryse’s service offering to producers.
This is a hands-on, cross-functional operations role that requires someone who is comfortable working both strategically and operationally while managing a small team The Manager will regularly engage with processor and various service providers throughout Ontario to understand operational realities, validate performance, resolve issues, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Position Description
Monitor the performance of the Blue Box value chain from collection through processing and final disposition, ensuring operational, contractual, and regulatory requirements are met.
Work closely with the CCS Operator/Administrator and post-collection service providers to monitor performance, address issues, maintain accountability, and ensure contract requirements are fulfilled.
Own the operational plan for achieving producers’ applicable material management targets: establish target forecasts and performance baselines, compare actual results with required outcomes, identify gaps and risks early, and coordinate corrective actions with internal teams, the CCS Operator/Administrator, processors, haulers, and end-market partners.
Monitor and improve the operational drivers of target performance, including material capture, contamination and quality, sortation efficiency, recovery yield, throughput, downtime, residual rates, chain of custody, and verified final disposition.
Establish clear escalation, corrective-action, and follow-up processes for service failures, data anomalies, audit findings, off-specification material, missed milestones, and underperformance against contractual or regulatory requirements
Oversee and ensure operational and material-flow data from collection through final disposition is complete, accurate, timely, reconciled, and supported by appropriate records so that performance against producer targets can be confidently measured, reported, and verified.
Manage operational budgets and cost performance for the Blue Box value chain, oversee the analysis of financial and operational variances and develop actions to take, and identify opportunities to reduce total supply chain cost without compromising service, compliance or recovery outcomes.
Lead regular performance reviews with service providers and internal stakeholders, convert data and site observations into accountable action plans, and track actions through to verified completion.
Promote safe and environmentally responsible operations by monitoring service-provider compliance with applicable health, safety, environmental, and site requirements and escalating material risks promptly.
Lead or participate in operational improvement projects, pilots, studies, and other initiatives that support the evolution and optimization of the Blue Box system.
Use and review KPIs, dashboards, and performance reports developed by the internal Blue Box team to monitor operational performance, identify gaps, and drive corrective actions with service providers.
Regularly visit processing facilities and operational sites across Ontario to understand performance firsthand, validate data and processes, build relationships, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Provide direction, coaching, and support to the Blue Box team and contribute to a collaborative, accountable, and continuous-improvement culture.
Skills & Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Operations Management, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Analytics, Project Management, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in recycling, waste management, materials recovery, logistics, supply chain, environmental services, or another complex operational environment.
Post-secondary education in business administration, operations management, supply chain, environmental management, engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience in operations management, performance management, continuous improvement, contract/service provider management, or project management.
Experience developing and monitoring KPIs, operational metrics, reports, and performance-management processes.
Demonstrated experience identifying operational issues, analyzing root causes, and implementing practical solutions.
Experience managing multiple projects, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines simultaneously.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint.
Working knowledge of Ontario’s Blue Box regulatory framework, producer responsibility programs, material management targets, chain-of-custody requirements, and the operational evidence needed to support compliant reporting.
Strong analytical and digital fluency, including advanced Excel and experience with dashboards or business intelligence tools such as Power BI experience working with material-flow, operational, quality, and cost data is strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to translate regulatory and contractual requirements into measurable operational plans, performance standards, corrective actions, and supplier accountabilities.
Commercial and financial acumen, including experience with budgets, cost control, variance analysis, invoice validation, contract administration, and service-level performance.
Strong leadership, coaching, influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to communicate clearly with executives, operational teams, municipalities, service providers, and other external partners.
Comfort working in field and facility environments and the judgment to identify and elevate safety, environmental, service, compliance, and reputational risks.
Demonstrated ability and willingness to use approved artificial intelligence tools responsibly and effectively to support analysis, research, reporting, workflow improvement, and decision-making, while applying sound judgment, validating outputs, protecting confidential information, and complying with company policies.
Regular travel throughout Ontario, including visits to processing facilities and other operational locations.
Valid driver's licence and access to a personal vehicle required.
Combination of office, remote, and field-based work
Working Conditions
Regular travel throughout Ontario, including visits to processing facilities and other operational locations.
Valid driver's licence and access to a personal vehicle required.
Combination of office, remote, and field-based work.
Salary: $90,000 - $100,000/year.
Ryse Solutions is committed to maintaining an equitable, fair, and diverse environment. Any applicants who have a disability or require reasonable accommodation may speak directly with our Human Resources Department. Reasonable accommodations will be assessed on a case‑by‑case basis. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Please note that AI may be used to support the application review process;
however, all applications are reviewed by our Human Resources Team.
This posting is for an immediate vacancy, and we are actively hiring for this position.
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